"I was definitely frustrated that I couldn't put a good set together and was really bummed the last couple races of the day where I could not read the current because it was going across the course in some places and then upwind in other places," he added.
Tufts' B division boat accumulated 178 points over 15 races, which was good enough for 16th out of the 20 teams in the division. The rough conditions were also coupled with a switch of boat types after the first day of sailing.
On Saturday, the A division sailed 420s and the B division sailed FJs, but they switched on the ensuing day. Though the boats are comparable in size, speed and handling, there are undoubtedly differences that could throw off a skipper.
"It was light air, raining, with current lines throughout the course," Criezis said. "It was definitely questionable racing that other fleets would not have raced in. I am more confident in an FJ than a 420 and my results showed that."
There was, in fact, a noticeable difference, as Criezis and Watkins averaged a finish of 10.6 in their first 10 races on Saturday in the FJ, whereas in their final five races in the 420 they averaged a 14.4.
Yet, despite these troubles in the B division, Tufts was able to finish a decent 10th-place due to the efforts of the A division boat, skippered by senior Tomas Hornos and crewed by a combination of senior Rachael Brill and freshman Max Bulger. The Jumbos accumulated 125 points over their 15 races, which placed them in fifth overall in their division — one of the bright spots of the weekend for the Jumbos.
"Rachael and I bone-crushed at the beginning of the event but then started getting worse results and moved back to fifth," Hornos said. "In the end, I am happy with our [finish] considering the tricky conditions and competition."
Hornos and Brill started off Saturday with a fifth-, third- and second-place finish, finishing the day with two more top-fives and ultimately placing in the top 10 in seven of the 10 races. However, the team's overall finish is the most important statistic to Hornos.
"The 10th-place finish was not what we were hoping for," Hornos said. "We know we're capable of much better. Andrew and I just need to both be sailing our best to do well at a major regatta like this [past] weekend."
The change of boats on Sunday did not seem to present as much a problem to Hornos and Brill as it did Criezis and Watkins. The A division boat racked up three top-10 finishes in the final five races on Sunday in the new boats.
"Rachael and I had really consistent starts and our downwind boat speed was great," Hornos said. "But I'm most happy with our ability to jump into boats we hadn't sailed in with each other and be up to speed with the rest of the fleet. We need to work on minor boat-handling issues that are easy to fix."
Hornos will likely be taking next weekend off to accompany Criezis to the New England Men's Singlehanded Championships at Roger Williams, where Criezis will be looking to qualify for a spot to nationals like he did in his sophomore year.
"This will be one of the most competitive qualifiers that I have been to," Criezis said. "I am confident in my abilities and have proven that over the past two years in a Laser. There will be nine or 10 contenders out of maybe 20 people racing for four spots at nationals, so it's going to be really intense."
Although a 10th-place finish out of 20 teams at the Danmark Trophy this past weekend wasn't what the Jumbos sailing team was hoping for, things weren't entirely bad.
Most of the trouble Tufts encountered, as always, stemmed from a lack of comfort with the environment in which it was sailing. The regatta at the Coast Guard Academy saw some extremely tough conditions, including light and shifty breezes, which, when combined with a strong and shifting current, create an ever-changing puzzle that can be nearly impossible to solve.
Senior tri-captain Andrew Criezis, who skippered the B division with classmate and fellow tri-captain Jennifer Watkins, was particularly frustrated with how the conditions affected his results.
"The conditions were very challenging and, as a result, it was not the best indication of skill," Criezis said. "A lot of good sailors were all over the place, but I still should have been more consistent. I had a hard time with sailing in light air and lots of current. I have very little experience in that condition.
